Successful communities have more than great jobs and schools, healthy businesses, and low crime. The most progressive municipalities also have learned to play together, and Prescott Valley is no exception.
KaBOOM! a national non-profit dedicated to saving play for America’s children, in conjunction with the Humana Foundation, has named Prescott Valley one of 212 cities and towns in 43 states designated a 2014 Playful City.
These cities and towns are distinctive in making “playability” a part of their community-wide agenda. In Prescott Valley, the Town partners with the Humboldt Unified School District and many other organizations to provide healthy, enjoyable play opportunities. Moving into the future, the growing Town is meeting the challenges for play by making key improvements to its infrastructure and working with developers to provide amenities that feature a variety of recreational options.
Prescott Valley Vice Mayor Lora Lee Nye said the community has invested in playability for many years.
“When I first became aware of this designation, I had a mental picture of all of our various events which I consider very playful and healthy for our families. I’m thrilled that we are recognized for something we’ve been doing for a very long time.”
Playful City communities know play can help young people manage stress, spark creativity and resilience, make friends, and improve health and wellness, said Darell Hammond in his KaBOOM.org blog.
“When cities invest in playability, they set in motion a virtuous cycle. More opportunities for play attract more families, which leads to economic competitiveness. When cities make good on the promise of play, all of their residents have an opportunity to be happy, healthy, and to contribute to their community’s overall vitality,” Hammond said.
As Prescott Valley grows, it will continue to find innovative ways to provide opportunities for play for all ages, as guided by its General Plan 2025, Parks and Recreation Master Plan and the Arts and Culture Strategic Plan. These documents are a road map to success for leisure, recreational, artistic, cultural and historical services. To date these plans have provided access to aquatic experiences, public ice/non-ice related activities and events at Tim’s Toyota Center, use of public athletic facilities to create an environment for strength and endurance, and large scale community-based special events that contribute to the educational, physical, social and emotional wellbeing of the community.
To find out all the ways you can play in Prescott Valley, visit the Town’s website at www.pvaz.net.
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